11/8/11: Rin Tin Tin - The Life and the Legend

Salt Lake City – A canine orphan of World War I, Rin Tin Tin was rescued from a bombed-out French battlefield and went on to become one of the most renowned names of 20th century entertainment. In her new book, writer Susan Orlean documents the life and legend of the famous German shepherd, his descendants and their owners, tracing in the process the rise of dogs in American life and exploring the bond between humans and animals. Orlean will talk with Doug on Thursday about Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend.

Benard and Andre were only seven months old when they were first trained to pull a machine gun. When they were one year old, the muzzles came off, and the dogs were trained to load and fire the guns. (TheHistoryBluff.com

A Red Cross Army Dog trained to recover wounded soldiers. The dog itself had been wounded and is receiving medical attention. (WorldWar1Gallery.com)